Closet valve



Sept. 1'5, 1925. y 1,554,019 v F. V. MILLER f CLOSET VALVE Original Filed Aug. 9, 1922 2 Sheets-$heet 1 sept, 15, 1925. A 1,554,019

` F. v. MILLER CLOSET VALVE Original Filed Aug. 9. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 //V VEA/7b@ E M M/L L EH Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,554,019 PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK V. MILLER, 0F SAN FRAN CISCO, CALIFORNIA.

Appneation fue@ August a, 1922, serial Nq. 580,590. Renewed YApril 27, 1925.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK V. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Closet Valves, of which the following is a specification.

rlhe present invention relates to improvements in valves for flush tanks such as are used in connection with toilets, urinals and like bath or toilet fixtures.

The primary object is to provide novel valve mechanism of the character described which will be comparatively simple as to construction, inexpensive, easy to install and capable of being operated in a more reliable and economical manner than types of valve mechanisms such as are now generally employed, it being possible to readily assemble and disassemble the valve mechanism of my invention for the purpose of repair or rearrangement of the parts, without necessi tating a complete dismantling` of the mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide valve mechanism of the character described which will operate to permit an adequate amount of water to flow from the tank without an excessive and wasteful iiow such as is usually the case with the ordinary Hush valve where the fresh supply of water feeding to the tank flows out before the discharge valve closes.

Another object is to provide valve mechanism of the character described which may be readily and easily adjusted to regulate vthe amount of water to be discharged upon each flushing operation and which may be readily attached to tanks regardless of the point of introduction of water supply without necessitating changing of the construction of the mechanism.

The invention further contemplates generally improving and simplifying the construction and operation of flush tank valve mechanisms so as to render them more efficient, capable of longer service, easier installation and subject to easier repair.

The invention possesses other advantages and features some of which, with the foregoing will be set forth at length in the following description wherel shall voutline in full that form of the invention which I have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the present speiigatipa In said drawings l. have shown one form of the construction of mv invention, but it is to be understood that do not limit myself to such form since the invention as expressed in the claims may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 represents a view of the flush tank with the front side thereof removed showing the mechanism of my invention in front elevation.

Fig. 2 represents a sectional view through the tank at right angles to Fig. 1, showing the mechanism in side elevation.

Fig. 3 represents a detail side elevation of the mechanism showing the manner of adjusting the mechanism to regulate the anuliunt of water to be discharged from the tan I.

Referring particularly to the drawings in which one practical embodiment of the invention is shown in detail, 1 designates a flush tank of the type usually employed in connection with urinals and closets, wherein there is provided a discharge member 2 at the lower side and a water supply pipe 3 at the upper rear side. The mechanism of my invention is connected with a valved fitting generally designated 4, in turn connected with the supply or intake pipe 3. An operating handle 5 for operating the valve of the fitting 4 is located within the tank so as to be accessible from the upper open side thereof. Connected with the fitting 4 is a T fitting 6, in the lower end of which a valve 7 is mounted so as to control the flow of water out through the extension 8 of said itting. The extension 8 has screwed into its upper end a T coupling 9, to the upper end of which, through a reduction couplinglO,

is connected an auxiliary supply pipe 11, which is horizontally extended. The lower end of thecoupling 9., has a pipe 9 connectedk therewith and said pipe extends downwardly to a point near the bottom of the tank whereby a noiseless water feed into the tank is provided. Y

The discharge member 2 is closed by a valve 12 having a central opening 13 therefor, as is customary in such discharge valves. Extending upwardly from the valve in communication with the opening. 13 is a tubular stem 14, the upper end of which is connected with the valve operating mechanism of the invention as will be later described. The auxiliary pipe llis arranged so as to ,discharge Water into the upper open end *cranln arm;

of the tubular. stem.1`4I so that'fsaidi waterwill run into the bowl, not shown, and maintain a quantity of water in the top of the bowl" after a flushing operation. tensions 15 are provided on opposite sides of the valve and engage upright guide rods 16 which are carriedron the iittingh 2 and.4

extend upwardly to form support for parts oi' the operating mechanism, as will be later described'. v

The operating; mechanism comprises the customary ballv floatl 17 whichv is mounted upon onefendl of'l allever 18' and arranged to be lifted and lowered; by action of the water inthetank. At a1 point intermediate offits ends a'A lever ispivofted" as atA 19Y to a link.` 20, which is4 in turn pivoted as at 21 to-` one endof aA valve stem loperating lever 22. The lever 22 extends througha slot 23 in., the, stem 24 ofJ the' valve 7' andI at its other end' is pivotedzas at; 25- to a similar rigid extensionV 261carri'edby the itting 6. @if the other si'deof thetting'is a downwardly vbifurcated" extension 27 in the bifurcation of,` which a lever` 22- operaties and to-thelower endl`- of? which th'e adjacentend of the lever 18 is pivoted as at28.I rIhe pivotsj 19, 21, 25-v andl`28' include l2-shaped screw members 2 9gwhichare removable to permitofil'ready assembling and disassemblingv ofthe mechanism;

Itfwillftlius be seen) that upon upr movementI ofthe Hoa-t 17-"\aI1drod'18,r as when the .tank isb'eing filled with water, the link 20 will-push upwardly on the lever 22, which latter in turn 'A pushes the,` stem- 24eupw-ardly and closesthe valve 7 lWhen the valve 12 is` openedthe float 17" lowers the lever 18 and "other connectionsl pullingthev val-ve 7 int'o openL position and rallowing a supply.

The means for operating the discharge valve'12gcomprises an operating7 handle 30 whichpisf located; onl the outside off`V and; in rontlof'the tank- 1: A shaft 31 which extends throughan openingfv32 inthe front wall ofi' the tanlr is rotatably# mountedE vin one olf-the guide postsor standards16', said 'shaft being heldfin-f plaeef.by a cott'erpin 33. Fixed totheshaftA 31f is` ai crank? arm 341 tothe outer endjjoffwhich islpi-voteda locking link 35' which slid'alo'ly` extends through a keeper member 36 fastened-f to the other guide 1,654 The-f linkKA 35 is provided-fwithf a notch# 37i 'adjacentltjo its-other end,l which notch isKadaptedltonreceive one end 'og the.l keeper- -36sof as to holdfthelink inf up fpositi'onf as willlf be .laten described. A short'linlri 38 fis@ connectedi with| the .link 3'5gfand crank-r arm. 34 at.= the point of" connection of thee-latten andi' dependsifrom the A A2 flexible;element 39r1is'1connected with the lower r en-d f2 of the lin-kf 38 and." with theil upper tend fof the valve?v stem 1.4.@ VVfhenathe*operating handle is depressed the crank arm-34fwil1l, throughifthelifnkfand` Biffureated. ex-

flexible element, lift the valve stem; 14 and open the valve 12, lifting upwardly on the locking link 35 and causing the lower end of the keeper36itoengage in the notch 37, whereupon the mechanism will be held in suc-hA position as to hold the valve 12 open. AttachedN to the lower endv of the link 35 is a weight member 40u which operates to cause a positive engagement of the member 36 in the notch 37., Asa ,means for, dropping the lever 35 and" causing the, notch to be moved clear of the memberl 36 so" that the valve l2'may close, there is provided l waterV to thelevelshown in Eigs; ,1 and'j2,

when the-handle 3Ofisv depressed, the valve 12 willfbe lifted and water will discharge from the tank, thfe'locltingilink- 357'wil1f be held* by the notch l37' engaging the member 36in positionto ^maintain the valve inv open position. However, when the slack oi'fthez flexible elementgor(chain 48'is :takenupy upon the lowering ofthe ball'ioatand rod"18,sueh

action taking place when th'eltanlr" has disclrargedfitsf con-tents through the outlet=`2, the lever 44"will".be roclredand communicate pull-ionVv the'link 35V through the; link 41. This willi move the notch 37 Vclear offthe member 36y and' permit the partsl to return to normal position assistfedb'ythel action'of the weight .40.1 As;soonas -th'elockingV link 35 is released-f'` the valvewill" gravitate into closed position l andthe lclosing v offthe valve is -coincident-fwithI the opening off thevalve 71 andfthe g feed of a'A freshgsupplyb of? wat-er tothe tan-k: Thetube 14act`s-` as an'overflow pipe. s l

B' adjusting the flexiblehe-lementf-48"on the rod 18 the trip aetionimay-ib'eregulated so asAto-V cause the f dischargeyvalveto yclose at' different times-whereby regulationA of-fth'e amount3 of f water-u tobe disehargedgmay Abe effected.l

1. Brfvalve mechanismvfr f ilshftank's-,the combination-1Withatankhaving'a discharge openingI a'ndfian, inta'kegi offa-valvef controlling#ftheidischarge:openingg-a valve"controllingL the @intak'e, means op'erati'ngfautomatically. when'. the water leveli inlvthe tan-k whemtheawater lowersgaaopeeatingqe ber on the tank means of connection between said operating member and the discharge valve providing for opening of the discharge valve upon movement of the operating member, a notched member connected with said last-named means a member adapted to extend into said notch upon opening of the discharge valve whereby said notch member will hold the discharge valve in open position, means operated by movement of intake valve operating means tor moving said notched member out of position holding the discharge valve open and a weight depending from one end of said notched member.

2. In valve mechanism for flush tanks the combination of a tank having a discharge opening and an intake, of a valve controlling the intake, means operated automatically when the water in the tank reaches a pre-determined level for closing said valve and opening the valve when the water recedes below said level, a valve controlling the discharge opening, an operating member movable upon the tank, means of connection between the discharge valve and operating member providing for opening o the discharge valve upon movement of the operating member, means for automatically locking the discharge valve in open position upon opening of said valve, comprising a member having connection with said means of connection, a stationary member, said first named member having a notch therein adapted to receive the stationary member means operating to release said locking means upon movement of the intake valve operating means to a pre-determined point, which last-named means includes a lever connected with the notched member, a support for the lever and a flexible element connected with said lever and said intake-valve operating means.

3. In valve mechanism for iush tanks the combination with a tank having a discharge opening and an intake, of a valve controlling the discharge opening, a valve controlling the intake, means operating automatically when the water level in the tank reaches a pre-determined point for closing the intake valve and for opening said valve when the water lowers, an operating member on the tank, means of connection between said operating member and the discharge valve providing :tor opening of the discharge valve upon movement of the operating member, a notched member connected with said last-named means, a member adapted to extend into said notch upon opening of the discharge valve whereby said notched member will hold the discharge valve in open position and means operated by movement of the intake valve operating i means for moving said notched member out of position holding the discharge valve open, which means comprises a support, a lever pivoted on the support, a link connection between the lever and said notched member and a flexible element connected with said lever and adjustably connected with the intake valve operating means.

FRANK V. MILLER. 

